Natural hazards

Question 1

what is a natural hazard

Answer 1

events that are perceived to be a threat to people, the built environment and the natural environment.

Question 2

geophysical

Answer 2

driven by the earth’s own internal energy sources, for example, plate tectonics, volcanoes, seismic activity.

Question 3

hydrological

Answer 3

driven by water bodies, mainly the oceans, for example, floods, storm surges, tsunamis.

Question 4

atmospheric

Answer 4

driven by processes at work in the atmosphere, for example, tropical storms, droughts.

Question 5

why do we avoid looking at the frequency and magnitude?

Answer 5

• Damage occurs almost immediately or after hazard occurs.
• do not choose to be exposed to the impacts.
• clear origins of courses
• distinctive effects e.g. collapse of the built environment and infrastructure.

Question 6

The UN’s definition of disaster

Answer 6

• 10+ people killed
• 100+ people affected
• a state of emergency
• international assistance called for

Question 7

1990 Swiss Re insurance

Answer 7

Defined disaster as an event where at least 20 people died, or injured + damage of $16M.

Question 8

risk

Answer 8

The chance of loss from an event that cannot be entirely controlled

Question 9

vulnerability

Answer 9

the quality or state of being exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally.

Question 10

hazard

Answer 10

A potentially damaging physical event, that may cause – loss of life or injury

• property damage
• social/economic disruption
• environmental degradation

Question 11

capacity

Answer 11

a combination of all strengths and resources available within a community, society or organisation that can reduce the level of risk, or effects of a disaster.

Question 12

how is capacity measured?

Answer 12

R = H × V
c
Risk (R) = Frequency of hazard (H) × Vulnerability (V)
÷ capacity to cope

Question 13

what is the effect of increasing hazards?

Answer 13

as the risk of disaster grows as global hazards and people’s vulnerability increases, while their capacity to cope increases.

Question 14

Perception

Answer 14

this is the way in which someone understands or interprets a hazard. People tend to respond to hazard depending on their understanding and interpretation.

Question 15

Fatalism

Answer 15

An optimistic or accepting approach, while people believe that hazards are part of life or ‘acts of god’.

Question 16

domination

Answer 16

this is the perspective suggests that hazards are predictable and that they can be better understood by scientific research.

Question 17

Adaptation

Answer 17

this perspective takes view that hazards are influenced by natural and human events and so we change our lives to reduce impacts

Question 18

what makes people vulnerable?

Answer 18

• food stocks destroyed as a result of hazard event: famine.
• water contaminated by power plants or debris from infrastructure.
• corrupt government: Laissez-faire approach or use up the money themselves.

Question 19

what types of hazards can be prevented?

Answer 19

• Avalanches: slopes to offset/control in order to prevent a larger avalanche.
• flooding: prevented = engineering solutions
• volcanic eruptions - satellite images

Question 20

which types pf hazards cannot be predicted?

Answer 20

• Earthquakes - can figure out areas of risk though.
• Tornadoes.
• Tsunamis - cannot be adapted.

Question 21

how can the built environment be salvaged?

Answer 21

• earthquake-proof buildings
• raising houses on stilts in flood areas
• Flood defences
• retrofitting existing structures to improve their defences
• hazards cannot be adapted in any way by people but can dilute impact where it helps.

Question 22

can all events be predicted to the same degree?

Answer 22

nope, but satellite images and radar technology helps to predict large-scale extreme climatic events. volcanoes can be closely monitored and some predictability can be gained.

Question 23

can earthquakes be predicted?

Answer 23

NOPEEE - devasting effects over large areas due to not knowing the signs.

Question 24

how will recognizing warning signs help?

Answer 24

key to prediction + recognising warning signs = actions.

then only long term prep can help them.

Question 25

who are most affected by hazards?

Answer 25

• poor
• young
• old

Question 26

factors of vulnerability

Answer 26

• Age
• education
• development
• communication technology

Question 27

what can help reduce factors of vulnerability of the population?

Answer 27

• planning laws
• building design
• precision technology and research
• emergency service provision
• aid provision
• communication + education

Question 28

examples of adapting to hazards

Answer 28

• not allowing new building on floodplains
• hurricane evacuation plans and centres
• disaster practice days
• practice + real tornado warning sirens and shelters

Question 29

what are the factors which affect recovery process for the population?

Answer 29

• speed of response from authorities
• level of economic development in the area
• extent of damage done to the infrastructure of their lives
• morale of the community
• types of aid, short and long term
• collaborative between governments and aid agencies

Question 30

MEDCs

Answer 30

More Economically Developed Countries

Question 31

LEDCs

Answer 31

Less Economically Developed Countries

Question 32

how can the population help?

Answer 32

Individual = effect on one person 
Authority = millions affected

Question 33

Insurance in MEDCs

Answer 33

💰 to an insurance company based on the likelihood of damage. some properties are given HIGH insurance due to high risk. some have such a high risk NO insurance is paid.

Question 34

positive response to modifying loss

Answer 34

• find a solution
• control the effects
• acceptance

Question 35

negative responses to modifying loss

Answer 35

• deny its existence
• deny its recurrence
• blame others
• fatalism: “it’s happening anyway, what’s the point of doing anything, it is all in gods hands” (acceptance of disaster as it is)

Question 36

influence/social pressure

Answer 36

pressure from community leaders + social media = strong influence on peoples choices when it comes to their own safety.

Question 37

Duration

Answer 37

• the length of time that a hazard lasts for
• the longer the hazard the more severe it is likely to be
• e.g. an earthquake that lasts one minute will have a much more severe impact than an earthquake that lasts
  2 seconds.

Question 38

Magnitude

Answer 38

The strength of a hazard

Question 39

give an example of a measure for the strength of a hazard

Answer 39

• Richter scale - earthquakes

- volcanic explosivity index (VEI)

Question 40

predictability

Answer 40

this is the likelihood of being able to predict a hazard.

Question 41

give an example of hazards that can be predicted

Answer 41

• volcanoes give warning signs

- tropical storms can be tracked with satellites

Question 42

which hazards are hard to predict?

Answer 42

earthquakes

Question 43

true/false: generally speaking hazards that hit with no warning are going to be much more serious

Answer 43

true

Question 44

regularity

Answer 44

if hazards happen often and in quick succession e.g earthquakes and then aftershocks

Question 45

frequency

Answer 45

the interval of hazards of certain sizes e.g. an earthquake that is 8.0 happens once a year but you can have earthquakes that are 3.0/4.0 that occur daily. less strength but much more frequent earthquakes have the biggest impact

Question 46

speed of onset

Answer 46

the speed at which the hazard occurs e.g an earthquake can happen immediately and it would be hard to cope with impacts of it but if it is a hazard like a drought you can deal with the impacts as it happens.

Question 47

spatial concentration

Answer 47

hazards that are located in known areas are better to prepare for e.g. earthquakes tend to occur along plate boundaries or tropical storms are known to occur in coastal areas.

Question 48

Areal extent

Answer 48

if hazard covers a large area

• e.g. a drought affecting the whole of east Africa
• that is much worse than a flood hitting just one village

Question 49

number of hazards

Answer 49

locations that could usually be hit with multiple hazards e.g. hazard hotspots such as Indonesia can be hit by earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides and flooding simultaneously.